Now we'd like to hear from our key delivery partners what the new Drug Strategy means for you. What are the successes and challenges in delivering the strategy in your area?

We're running this blog for two weeks to capture comments and thoughts from you and to see if this is a useful way to share views and ideas.

If you work in this field, we'd like to hear from you, so please add your comments below.

This blog is now closed. Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment. No more comments will be posted after 21 March. If you would like to feed into the evaluation of this pilot, you may submit comments on this site until 31 March.

As the two week blog pilot draws to a close, I’d like to thank everyone who either visited the site or shared thoughts by submitting comments. I think the blog has raised some interesting discussion points.

I hope you have found following the blog over the last two weeks, reading what others see as the potential successes and challenges in implementing the new Drug Strategy, as useful and enjoyable as I have.

When the Minister opened the blog he highlighted that we were really keen to hear what the new Drug Strategy means for our key delivery partners.

Introduction from David Oliver: I have asked colleagues from the Serious
Organised Crime Agency to outline some of the activity they’ve been involved in
which has successfully prevented heroin reaching our streets. You may be aware
through your work, or you may have seen the articles in the current edition of
Druglink or Tuesday’s Guardian, about heroin shortages. This clearly poses some
challenges as to how services can best support drug users affected. However, we
must not forget how enforcement is making the country a more challenging
environment for organised crime.

Guest Post from Nigel Kirby - Head of Drugs
Intelligence (SOCA)

Heroin shortages have been
reported in several locations throughout the UK. Intelligence tells us that a
key contributor to the "heroin drought" is national and international
law enforcement activity.

As we go into week two of piloting this Drug Strategy blog,
I’m really pleased that you’re using it to share your views and ideas across a
range of issues that come up in your day to day work. I want to use my post
today to respond to some of the themes that have cropped up a few times and
I’ll start with a question a number of you have raised about why the strategy
refers to drugs and alcohol separately.

We know that alcohol misuse accounts for more health
problems, as well as being a driver in crime and disorder. The means by which
alcohol is regulated is embedded in historical tradition and the tolerance of
responsible consumption; and the licensing controls remain acceptable to the
vast majority of people. The way in which we regulate alcohol therefore remains
distinct from the method by which we control illicit drugs.

Hello. I will have already met some of you personally
whilst I’ve been in this role. For others, this will be the first time that
you’ve heard from me.

I’m really interested in hearing about your ideas and
experiences in turning the key themes of the new Drug Strategy into reality on
the ground. So, if you want to tell me and others about successes and challenges
in your work to restrict supply, reduce demand or build recovery, please do use
this blog to have your say!

Some of you have done so already, including Andrew Brown
in his post concerning drug education (8th March at 9.05).

As the Home Office Minister with responsibility for drugs and alcohol, I’m delighted to be launching this blog pilot and to invite your comments as key delivery partners.

The new strategy is aimed at supporting and enabling those dependent on drugs and alcohol to recover fully, reducing the demand for drugs and taking an uncompromising drive to crack down on those involved in the drugs trade.

It also addresses the issue of so-called "legal highs" through the development of temporary banning orders, improving the forensic analytical capability to detect new psychoactive substances and establishing an effective forensic early warning system.

As we shift power and accountability to local areas to tackle the damage that drugs and alcohol dependence cause our communities, we really want to hear from you, on your challenges and successes in achieving the ambitions of the strategy.